12 tips to maintain balance over the holidays

Every year, I work hard to make the holidays “magical” for my kids. And every year I start off feeling joyful and excited…and end up feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Then like a scene from Bad Moms’ Christmas, I melt down and become a cranky-pants.

Can you relate?

Even if you don’t have kids, you’ve no doubt experienced the stress that can go along with the holiday season. In our well-intentioned efforts to create a special time for our family and friends, we sometimes go overboard and lose sight of what really matters – enjoying our time with others.

So this holiday season, I’m determined to do Christmas better and not get so stressed out. Here are my top twelve tips for taking the hustle and bustle out of the holidays.

Tip 1: Envision what you want

The key to getting what you want is to know what you want, and then imagine it happening. So start by asking yourself “What’s most important to me this holiday season?” And then envision it.

For me, I’ve come to realize that what I really want is a simple, low-key celebration where we eat good food and I have time to enjoy my kids and go sledding and play board games with them.

Tip 2: Plan

Once you know what your overall vision is, you can make a plan to create it. Make a list of what needs to happen in what order. Highlight anything that must be done. Postpone things that don’t need to happen now. Choose to let go of anything non-essential.

Tip 3: Put your health and wellbeing first

It can be so tempting to put off exercise and sleep and heathy eating when we’re busy and stressed. And yet that’s when our bodies need it most. So schedule your work-outs, meal prep, meditation and down-time first, ahead of everything else. It’s not worth it to end up getting sick during the holidays!

Tip 4: Take inspired action

Before doing anything on your to do list, stop and take a few deep breaths first. Center yourself, and think about your overall vision. Then set an intention for the outcome you want. You’ll be surprised by how much your enjoyment of each task will increase when you center yourself first and align your energy with your highest intentions!

Tip 5: Keep things simple

Here are some ways we can simplify our holiday traditions and maintain our sanity:

Buy fewer gifts (e.g. agree with friends/family not to exchange this year, give fewer gifts to your kids who likely have too many toys already anyway).

Scale down on decorating. A few pretty decorations can go a long way in making your place look festive (without all the work)!

Instead of mailing Christmas cards, consider emailing them.

Instead of cooking a full Christmas dinner, consider buying all or part (many places make dinner for you that you can bring home). Or do a pot luck!

Tip 6: Shop strategically

You can save a ton of time shopping with these tips:

Make a list of everything you need to get. Group items by store, and go to/order at as few stores as possible.

Tip 7: Have a cooking baking day

To make Christmas baking easier, decide on a handful of recipes to make, buy all the ingredients in one trip, and do all your baking in one day. You can invite your kids, friends, or family to participate, making it a fun holiday tradition (my kids and I do this every year).

You can make cookie tins to give away as gifts to friends/teachers/service providers. And you can freeze the cookies so that whenever you host or go to a party, you always have something to bring!

Tip 8: Host a wrapping party!

Wrapping can take a lot of time and become a chore when you’re doing it all at once. So I started a tradition with my girlfriends where I invite them over a week before Christmas to wrap gifts while listening to holiday tunes and sipping wine! Makes wrapping much more enjoyable. J

Tip 9: Ask for help!

OK, I admit to having previously suffered from Wonder Woman syndrome, thinking I can do it all myself. So part of what makes the holidays more manageable for me now is asking people to help. My kids love to help with baking, decorating, and sticking stamps on envelopes. My partner enjoys cooking with me, and hanging the lights.

You may even want to consider if there is someone in your life (a retired parent or neighbour perhaps) who would enjoy spending time with you while helping you with what needs to be done!

Tip 10: Pamper yourself

I discovered long ago that a tired mommy is a cranky mommy. So I know the best thing I can do for my kids (and partner) is to make time to unwind before, during, and after the holidays. My favourite ways are to have a candle-lit bubble bath or lie in bed and read. And every year around New Year’s, I go to the spa near my home for some extra TLC!

Tip 11: Allow for imperfection

We tend to want everything to be perfect for the holidays, but perfectionism leads to stress. It’s far better to aim for an overall vision of what you want, and let the rest go. After all, it’s not the presents and decorations people will remember, it’s the feeling they had being with you.

Tip 12: Remember what’s most important

To me, what’s most important is to have fun with my family and friends. So my goal this year is to stop whenever I’m feeling stressed and ask myself if what I’m doing really matters. Because most of the time it doesn’t, and it causes me to lose sight of what does really matter…which is enjoying the time I have with the people around me.

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